Porcupine Meatballs

It's been a while since I posted.  Life gets busy. . .  Tonight I wanted Porcupine Meatballs, but I didn't want to have to make two batches, one traditional recipe and one Hannah could have.  So I tweaked the traditional recipe to make enough meatballs for all of us, including Hannah.  They are very delicate meatballs, treat them gently!

The meatballs:

1 tsp. tapioca starch

1/3 c. cold water

1/4 cup tomato sauce from a 15 oz. can

1/3 cup long grain rice

1/2 tsp. dried minced onion or 1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 lb. ground beef

The sauce:

remaining tomato sauce from the 15 oz. can

2 T. coconut aminos

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. minced onion or 1/4 tsp. onion powder

Heat the oven to 350° F.  Combine the tapioca starch and cold water in a small saucepan.  Stir until tapioca dissolves.  Heat on the stovetop over high heat until the tapioca gel is thick and translucent.  DO NOT BOIL!  Pour in a small bowl and refrigerator.  In a separate small mixing bowl, measure the 1/4 cup tomato sauce, rice, minced onion, garlic powder, black pepper, and ground beef for the meatballs.  Add the tapioca gel from the refrigerator.  Mix well.  Form into 1" meatballs and place in a 13x9 inch casserole dish.

Prepare the sauce:  In a small mixing bowl, combine the remaining tomato sauce, coconut aminos, dried oregano, garlic powder and minced onion.  Mix well.  Pour over the meatballs, be sure to cover each meatballs with some of the sauce.

Cover tightly with foil, sealing around the edges of the casserole dish.  Bake for 45 min. to 1 hour.  

Rice should be soft and poking out of the meatballs.  Use a large spoon to gently scoop each meatball from the pan, they are very delicate meatballs.  Serve with some of the sauce from the pan if desired.

Stir Fry

You can use chicken or pork in the recipe.

This picture contains crunchy chow mean noodles that are not gluten free.  Hannah eats her Stir Fry without the crunchy noodles.

1 1/2 cups rice

3 cups water.

3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1" bite sized pieces

2 T. canola or olive oil, twice

1 package frozen stir fry vegetables (be sure it is free of noodles, they contain gluten and/or eggs)

2 T. cornstarch, tapioca flour, potato starch, or arrowrroot (or your choice of thickening agent)

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. onion powder

2 T. wine vinegar

1/2 t. ground gingerroot

1/4 c. Coconut Aminos

1/4 c. dark corn syrup

1 c. chicken broth

sesame seeds

Combine the rice and 3 cups of water in a large saucepan with a fitted lid.  Place on stove burner set to high heat.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 min.  Fluff with a fork.

Place a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.  Add 2 T. canola or olive oil.  Add the chicken and cook and stir until browned and cooked through.  Remove chicken from the pan to a plate.  Add another 2 T. canola or olive.  Add the stir fry vegetables.  Cook and stir until cooked and somewhat tender.  

In the meantime, combine the cornstarch (or other thickening agent), garlic powder, onion powder, wine vinegar, gingerroot, Coconut Aminos, dark corn syrup and chicken broth in lidded container.  Shake well to combine.

When vegetables are tender, add the chicken back into the pan.  Add the stir fry sauce you just shook well.  Cook and stir over Medium heat until the sauce is thickened and bubbly.  Serve with the steamed rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. (This is good with crunchy chow mein noodles too, if you can have the gluten in the noodles.)

Spanish Rice

I like to serve this rice whenever we eat a Mexican or Spanish themed dinner.  It's fast and easy and not too spicy if you use mild.  You can pump up the spice by choosing medium or hot salsa or enchilada sauce.

Makes 2 cups

1 T. olive or canola oil
1 cup long grain white rice
1/2 cup salsa or La Victoria Enchilada Sauce (contains soybean oil)
1/4 cup chopped onion if using Enchilada Sauce
2 cups water or chicken broth

Heat a non-stick 2 quart saucepan over med-high heat.  Add oil, allow to heat a moment.  Add rice and onion, if using; stirring occasionally to brown the rice.  Be careful not to burn the rice. Add the water and salsa or enchilada sauce.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer about 18 min.  Rice is done when you see "holes" in the rice when you lift the lid. Fluff with a fork and serve.

(I'll get a picture the next time I make this!)